c/fence-erectors

Found out my wood rot was worse than I thought after checking a moisture meter

I was replacing a section of fence down near the corner post last month and I thought I caught the rot early cause the wood just looked a little soft on the surface. Well I pulled out my cheap moisture meter from Harbor Freight just to be sure and it read like 28 percent moisture deep in the wood. That thing was basically a sponge inside even though it looked fine from the outside for like 2 feet up the post. I ended up having to dig out three more posts in that same stretch because they were all in the same range. Turns out the previous guy used pressure treated stuff but it was a grade that just doesn't hold up in wet clay soil. Has anyone else had a meter save them from a bigger headache down the road?

Visited a job site near Austin last week and noticed nobody was using gravel posts anymore

I walked a new development with 20 houses going up and every single fence crew was just setting posts in straight concrete, no gravel base at all, and I'm wondering if that's just a regional thing or if drainage problems are going to hit them in a few years.

Been putting up fences for 30 years and I keep seeing people skip the gravel base

I installed a cedar fence last week for a lady in St. Paul and had to redo three posts because the crew before me just dumped concrete around the wood with no drainage underneath. That gravel base isn't just extra work, it's the difference between a fence lasting 15 years and one rotting out in 5. I always put 6 inches of crushed stone at the bottom of each hole before setting the post. Has anyone else dealt with customers who think you're just trying to upsell them on the gravel?

Had a customer rip out 40 feet of my fencing because I didn't set the posts deep enough

This guy in Austin told me his last fence blew over in a storm so he wanted it done right. I dug 24 inches like I always do but he measured and said nope, go to 36. I was pissed but man... after 2 years with zero sagging I do every post at least 30 inches now even in good soil. Anyone else get forced into a better habit by a homeowner?

Saw a fence crew using string lines on a slope in Austin and it made me rethink my whole approach

I was driving through Austin last weekend and stopped to watch a crew working a big hill near Lake Travis. They had string lines stretched up and down that slope like 50 feet long and they kept checking them with a level every few posts. I usually just eyeball it on hills and hope for the best but these guys had it dialed in perfect. The foreman told me he spends 20 extra minutes per run on string lines and saves hours fixing wobbly rails later. Made me realize I've been cutting corners on layout just to save a little time. Has anyone else switched to using string lines on sloped ground and seen a big difference in final quality?

Put my first gate hinge in crooked three times before I figured out the trick

For the longest time I would just eyeball the hinge placement on wood gates and then wonder why they sagged after a season. Last spring I was putting up a 4 foot gate on a job out in Lubbock and my helper asked why I wasn't using a spacer block. I had no clue what he meant. He grabbed a scrap 2x4, clamped it to the post, and set the hinge right against it for perfect spacing every time. Has anyone else stumbled onto a simple jig or trick that made a basic job way easier?

Compared T-posts vs wood posts on a 200-foot job last week

I put in 30 T-posts on one side and 30 treated wood posts on the other for a customer's horse pasture near Springfield. The T-post side went up in half the time and saved about $80 in materials, but the wood posts looked way better and felt sturdier. Has anyone else found a good middle ground for strength versus looks on field fence jobs?

Drove past a new subdivision in Tempe and the fence posts made me cringe

I was heading home from a job yesterday and cut through the new Suncrest development. Every single vinyl fence they put up had the posts set maybe 18 inches deep, tops. The ground there is pure sand and we're heading into monsoon season. How do you expect that to hold when the wind kicks up? It's like they didn't even try to get below the frost line, or what passes for one here. Has anyone else seen a new build where the fencing crew clearly took every shortcut possible?

Can we talk about setting posts in wet concrete?

I saw a crew in Medford last week just drop a 4x4 post into a hole and pour the bag mix right on top of the dirt. That's a sure way to get a leaning fence in a single winter. How do you all make sure your concrete footings are solid for the long haul?

Noticed a big shift in how we handle cedar fence posts around here

About five years back, most crews in my area were just setting cedar posts in concrete and calling it good. Now, I'd say 8 out of 10 jobs I see use a gravel base at the bottom of the hole for drainage. The change really started after that super wet spring we had, when a bunch of fences rotted out at ground level. It adds maybe 15 minutes per post, but the wood lasts so much longer. Anyone else made that switch and seen the difference?

Just read that a properly built cedar fence can last over 25 years without major repairs. That's way longer than I expected.

Rant: Tried using a different post mix in wet ground and it backfired

Had a job near a creek in Charlotte last month where the soil was basically mud, so I swapped my usual concrete for a fast-set mix thinking it would hold better. The posts ended up leaning like crazy after just two days because the mix didn't cure right in the constant damp. Anyone know a better method for really wet spots besides just waiting for drier weather?

Had to choose between a post hole digger and a shovel for a job in Savannah

The ground was pure Georgia clay, and I thought the shovel would be fine for just eight holes. I was wrong, and my arms felt like jelly for two days. Anyone have a good rental spot for a two-person auger down here?

Just found out the hard way about mixing concrete in a plastic wheelbarrow on a hot day

I was setting posts for a backyard fence in Phoenix last Tuesday, and the 110-degree heat made the new plastic wheelbarrow I was using go soft and crack right down the middle halfway through the third bag of mix. The whole batch was ruined, and I lost half a day cleaning up the mess. Has anyone else had a wheelbarrow fail like this, and what's a good heavy-duty brand that can handle summer heat?

Chat with a landscaper in Boise made me rethink post hole diggers

I was talking to a landscaper named Carl at a supply house last week, and he said he switched from a manual clamshell digger to a power auger for any job over 15 holes. He pointed out that the time saved on a 50-post run let him bid lower and still make more money, which honestly never clicked for me before. I always figured the extra gear cost wasn't worth it for smaller crews. Has anyone else done the math on this for their own setup?

Got called out for my post hole spacing on a big cedar job

A few months back, I was putting up a 200 foot cedar privacy fence for a client in Grand Rapids. I was spacing my posts at 8 feet on center, like I always have. The homeowner, who turned out to be a retired engineer, came out and said, 'Son, with this soil and the wind load here, you're asking for a wavy fence in two years.' He showed me his soil report and the math. I switched to 6 foot spacing for the rest of the run, and the difference in rigidity was huge. Has anyone else had a client change their mind on a basic spec like that?

Had a gate post snap clean off in a sudden wind gust while setting it in wet concrete in Omaha last Tuesday.

I mean, it was a 4x4 pressure-treated post, and the whole thing just sheared at ground level, so I had to dig out the whole mess, cut a new post, and start over, which basically ate my whole afternoon's profit. Has anyone else had a post fail like that before the concrete even cured?

Shoutout to the old guy at the lumber yard who saved me a bundle on cedar posts

I was picking up a load of 4x4 cedar posts for a big privacy fence job in Springfield last month, and the yard guy, Frank, asked me how I was planning to set them. I told him my usual way: dig the hole, drop the post, pour in the concrete. He just shook his head and said, 'You're drowning good wood.' He explained that with cedar, especially in our damp soil, you want a gravel base for drainage and to only concrete the very top of the hole to lock it in, leaving the bottom foot or so in gravel. I'd been fully concreting every single post for years, which traps moisture and rots them out faster. I tried his method on that job, and it not only used way less concrete, but the posts feel rock solid. Has anyone else switched to this way for cedar, and did you see a difference in how long they last?

Question about those cheap post hole diggers from the big box store

I always thought those $40 manual post hole diggers were junk, so I stuck with my old heavy one for years. Last week mine broke on a job in Tacoma, and I had to grab a cheap one just to finish. I was ready for a fight, but honestly, it cut through the clay like butter and the handles didn't even pinch my hands. It's been two full days of digging now and I'm kind of shocked. Has anyone else given these a real try and had them hold up?

Was reading an old trade magazine from 1998 and found out a standard 6-foot cedar picket fence back then used about 30% more lumber than the same design does now.

My old post pounder finally gave out on a job in Springfield last Tuesday

The handle snapped clean off on the third post, which was a real pain because we were on a tight schedule for a 50-foot cedar fence. I had to run to the rental place and grab a new one, which set us back about two hours and $85 for the day. Anyone have a good brand for a heavy-duty pounder that can take a beating?

Rant: A client in Boulder insisted his fence line was exactly 150 feet, but his property pin was wrong

He pointed at a survey stake from 1998 and said 'that's the line, I've lived here 20 years.' I had to show him the county GIS map on my phone, which put the actual pin 8 feet into his neighbor's yard. He still wanted me to build on the wrong spot to avoid 'stirring up trouble.' Ever had a client fight you on something that could start a property dispute?

My bad call on a pressure-treated lumber order cost me a full day's work

I ordered a load of 6x6 posts from a new supplier in Tacoma last month, thinking I was getting a deal. The wood was green, I mean really wet, and it twisted so bad after a week I had to pull and replace eight of them. That mistake set me back about $400 in materials and a whole Saturday. Anyone else run into this with green pressure-treated stock, or do you have a supplier you trust to deliver dry wood?

Remember when we all used to dig post holes by hand?

Three years ago on a job in Spokane, my crew and I spent two full days just digging. Last week, the new guy had all 40 holes for a vinyl fence done with the auger before lunch. Anyone still using the old clamshell diggers for small jobs, or is that just a memory now?

A gust in Cincinnati taught me to always check the forecast before setting posts.

I was setting a 6-foot cedar panel when a sudden wind caught it, snapping a hinge before I could brace it. Had to recut the post and use a temporary ratchet strap system to finish the day. What's your go-to method for bracing panels in unpredictable weather?